A lot of the emails we receive about contraception are from people who are too embarrassed to raise their questions with their GPs.

Here, I present a sample of the most common queries – beginning with some that arrive regularly from younger people.

My mates say that condoms are dangerous to use, because they break. Are they right?

No. Condoms do break occasionally, but this is unlikely if you handle them gently, and don't snag them with your fingernails or jewellery.

It's recently become clear that a lot of females who ask for the so-called the morning-after pill (the emergency contraceptive or post-coital Pill) say the condom broke – because they don't want to admit that they didn't use one.

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This has helped to give condoms a false reputation for breaking.

Even if one in a hundred condoms breaks, that's still far, far better than the risks of not using one at all.

Is it true that you can't get pregnant the first time you do it?

This is a dangerous myth that has been responsible for a lot of unwanted pregnancies.

You can get pregnant the first time you have sex, and it has happened to many, many young women.

You might get away with it, because the chance of getting pregnant from a single act of sex is around one in 20. But it really isn't worth taking the risk.

I am thinking of trying the Pill, but my mother says it's dangerous for younger women.

I'm afraid she has this the wrong way round. The risks of the Pill aren't all that big, but they're much greater in older women.

In the age group 16 to 25, the danger of serious side-effects from the Pill is very small – unless you are a smoker or have other risk factors, such as a history of thrombosis (clots) or a family history of relatives who had heart attacks or strokes at an early age.

You will be asked about these things when you first go to a doc to obtain the Pill.

All the above methods do carry a small failure rate – nothing is 100 per cent effective.

But each of these options is an awful lot better than just crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.

What about spermicides? Are they effective?

Spermicidal creams, foams, pessaries and sponges are no longer considered effective enough on their own.

You can still buy them (and you don't need a prescription), but they're not as widely available as they used to be.

However, spermicidal gels, such as Gygel, are recommended for use with diaphragms and caps, because they appear to offer extra protection against pregnancy.

What is the best method of contraception?

Quite a few couples come into clinics asking this question, but there isn't a 'best' method of family planning. What matters is what works for you.

Different things suit different people. If it's any help, the two most popular methods in the UK are the Pill and the male condom.

Vasectomy and female sterilisation are popular with people who don't want any more children, but they have become more difficult to obtain free under the cash-strapped NHS.

In 2014, vasectomy is considerably less common than it used to be.

A lot of people now get these operations from contraception charities such as Marie Stopes.

At the moment, they charge £1,527 for female sterilisation and £402 for vasectomy. But it is also possible to be referred to the charity under the NHS.

What about new forms of contraception? Are they likely?

It's possible that new methods of contraception will become available fairly soon.

However, the 'development costs' of these products are high, and pharmaceutical companies are reluctant to risk big investments.

But in 2014, several new types of contraceptive cap have become available.

The much hyped male Pill is unlikely to be on the market within the next few years.

In autumn 2014, it was claimed that a new 'male' contraceptive called 'Vasalgel' could be available in just three years.

The technique involves injecting a 'blocker gel' into the two tubes (the vasa) which carry sperms upwards from the testicles. But so far, it has only been tested on baboons and rabbits.

Administering the two jabs into the right places inside the scrotum will be difficult.

Further information

If you've got more questions, please talk to a nurse or doctor who's been specially trained in contraception – eg at a family planning clinic, a Brook advisory centre for young people or a GP's surgery.

The materials in this web site are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor. The web site does not have answers to all problems. Answers to specific problems may not apply to everyone. If you notice medical symptoms or feel ill, you should consult your doctor - for further information see our Terms and conditions.